Art of Rooks and Kings

Artwork has always had a special place in the RnK ethos. Pieces have often been commissioned for campaigns (e.g. Tigers in Winter) or simply produced to celebrate the romance of online (virtual) warfare.

A derelict Abaddon battleship, covered in snow; By Nozaj

The considerable success rate of RnK's operations and campaigns might at first suggest triumphant, grandiose themes. However, the dominant images are instead those of disrepair and decay:

I've always believed there should be something very melancholy in our aesthetic. Eve is a virtual "war game" that exists during a time when there is also an actual battle unfolding in regards to the internet and the actions taking place on it. History could go different ways here: virtual worlds like Eve may be later seen as fore-bearers for the future, or instead be a brief, anarchic glimpse into what might have been. The thirst for genuine sandbox gaming may disappear into a more regulated, commercialised and sterile online existence.

In a way it's about sandbox vs. 'Theme Park' MMO. In another way it's about more than that. It's about all the wild things that sprouted in online culture in the late 90s, from IRC culture to Usenet and alt.sex.stories. Somewhere in the internet's soft underbelly were games like Ultima Online - and Eve's New Eden was the next stop along that journey.

When people now talk of key concerts in 1969 or life on drug communes in the early 1970s, there is a tinge of sadness. Not just because it represents a bygone moment in history but perhaps because they knew they were living 'it' but didn't know how to preserve or extend it. And for all our 'toys', faux-military orchestration and virtual 'secret weapons', even Eve's most disciplined combat groups remain adrift in the passage of time.

- Lord Maldoror

A Pipebombing Titan 'Gun', built into a mountainside; By Nozaj

The most prolific artist for the group has been RnK's own Nozaj. He also served as the main artist for the Clarion Call 4 video. RnK's logos, meanwhile, have been made by Lishy.

In addition, work has also been commissioned on a regular basis from DeviantArt.